De Jong was acquired in July 2015 for international bonus slot money, which the Dodgers didn't need anyway because they had already well exceeded their pool. Since then, he has posted solid numbers as he's worked his way through the minors, progressing enough to where the Dodgers decided to add him to their 40-man roster for Rule 5 protection. He put up a 2.86 ERA in 141.2 innings with Double-A Tulsa this season, with a 1.03 WHIP and 125 strikeouts, earning promotion to Triple-A Oklahoma City at the end of the season. He was roughed up during the Pacific Coast League playoffs, allowing nine earned runs in 10 innings, but his overall body of work was strong. Given that injury woes forced the Dodgers to use 15 different starting pitchers in 2016 and 16 in 2015, it's quite possible that De Jong could find himself throwing a spot start or two in the majors by the end of the 2017 season.